The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1887-06-16
NOT READY FOR SUCH TEACHING.

your last weeks issue, calling himself
Three" claims as constitutional and
moral right, Of the discontinued and dan
gerous poor, the abrogation of all county
road, and oity-street, taxes Three is car
ried by the irresistible logic of his position
further than he is perhaps aware Even. 70
the length Of opposing all systems of county
roads and city streets
1t is needless though for US, in this paper,
to argne their absolute necessity
One other statement of "Threes' we
must take issue with, and leave 10 the pub
lie to decide between us.
That the poor of Cobb county and Mari
eta, or even of the South, are either dis
contented and dangerous or suffering and
oppressed we emphatically deny. The
writer hereof is one of them. and claims
equal right with Three 10 speak for them
Our feeling OF absolute security in the truth
OF these assertions causes us to rest satisfied
With simple denial Of Three calum-
MES, but we will endeavor forfear that some,
who fail to see the inevitable tendency of
"Three's' doctrine, may be led by its perus-
al to become disconnected if not dangerous.
10 show the utter absurdity of his claims 70
exemption from taxation. A reading of
See Z, Par. Of the Constitution in which
the General Assembly is authorized to del.
egate to counties the right to levy taxes for
| roads bridges and other local PURPOSES will
efectually dispose Of the constitutional ar
gument.
And that Three was evidently afraid to
put much reliance in this constitutional ar.
gument, his next claims shows We quote
his words: But whether constitutional or
not. II is not right and that higher law
which is supposed to be the foundation of
| all municipal authority condemns it"
IT this be true, we will no longer oppose
Three But we respectfully suggest that
Three" bare assertion that such a con
domination exists, is by no means satisfac-
| tory proof Of its existence Three fails to
tell what this higher law is whether it is
political or moral Whether it exists in the
| highest moral law as given to us in the
| Holy Scriptures, or is to be found existing
in those ideas Ct inherent right, that have
moulded all civilized government The po-
lltlcal teaching Of the former may be sum
| med up in that one utterance of the Master
Render INTO Cesar the things that are
CAESARS. The doctrine Of the latter is
| that every citizen owes allegiance aud tinan.
| cial AID 10 the government under which he
lives and which in its turn, guarantees to
him its protection of his life, liberty and
property.
Upon this theory all enlightened govern
ments are founded, and this is the theory
| that Three is seeking to overthrow
Taxation is essential to all government
Three viii not deny this. The only issue
then between us is whether or not all the
taxation should fall upon the rich, while the
poor should share equally in the rights and
privileges OF citizens
Owning no property the poor are called
on to pay no ''ad valorem" taxes That is
as II should be, for as protection in the en-
Ioyment OF property, is more expensive to
government than the protection of life and
liberty, the rich alone should be made to
pay for those blessings which they alone
enjoy What then does our law require
that the poor man should pay for the bene,
hts that he is under the law, entitled to2
The poll tax, which Three seems to
stamp with his approval, is one item The
sum of one dollar per annum must he paid
and in return Tor this, he who pays it re-
ceiyes for his children, three months tni.
ton. Surely in this case the poor man gets
valne received. II personal taxation stops
here, We have citizens entitled TO all 'the
rights and privileges of the government and
who are receiving from it decidedly more
than they contribute towards it. But il
does not stop here, aud here is where
Three is troubled.
The poor man, besides this one dollar
must pay into the county or city treasury
further sum per year or in lieu thereof spend
certain days at work on the streets or roads.
Inc poor man has no property, there
fore he pays no property tax; hut the coun-
y roads are at his service, the farmers must
bring to him his supplies The city streets
and sidewalks are free to him; and as he |
walks them the city police protect his per
son from harm. II the county bridge or the !
city street are out of repair and the poor
man is hurt thereon, the county sheriff /
must serve his process, the State judiciary |
must try his cause, the citizens of the coun- |
ty must serve him as jurors and say what I
damage IN money he must have. And must
these privileges all be paid for out of the /
rich mans pocket
Three will not assert that his rights are /
not equal in this community, with those o. |
any man in it He can vote, it he paws his
poll tax lie can seek office and if ne finds
enough as short sighted as he is, to elect
him, can hold Office The courts are at his
SeCice, to protect him in person and prop
erty. And why then il he claims ali the
privileges, should he refuse to bear some &c
the burdens? The fact that he works on
the street and receives no pay for it, makes .
no difference. 1t he So chooses he can work
Tor one who will pay him. and then pay his
street tax with the money thus earned
The streets must be worked and If not bv
tins method OF taxation by some other. and
1t is Three s duty pay this tax, as his BRO
portion OF the necessary expenses of rov-
ernment And being poor he is exempt
from some taxes which the rich man must
pay, while the rich man mast pay for the
enjoyment CT property and likewise share
with hree the burdens OF the poll and
street tax.
We have devoted this much space to a
review Of "Threes so-caled inalienable
rights.
We now desire to briefly call attention
to the inevitable tendency Of "Threes ar
gument
And We sincerely hope that by Three"
himself il has not been observed We quote
one sentence
The most imminent danger to the pros.
perity of this country lies in the discomfort
of the poor, and from whatever cause this
discomfort arises the way to avert dangers
is to adopt measures to improve the condi
ton of this improvident but suffering and
class Answerng.for the sake
OF argument that the above Is a trrp' repre-
sentation OF the poor ia eur midst and thar
their discomfort is dangerous, let US ss
how Three $ remedy would work
We must adopt measures TO remove the
poverty, as from that springs the discon.
teut which is in turn the father of the dan